For many, Hoi An is the jewel in Vietnam's crown. It is a heady mix of cobbled streets, small tailor shops, trinket vendors, riverside cafes, galleries, traditional merchant houses and incense-infused temples. Hoi An was one of Southeast Asia's major trading centres during the 16th century and the town's development was affected by a multitude of outside influences, the most significant of which being the Chinese merchants who settled here. To this day, Hoi An has a distinctly Chinese feel to it. However, it was the Japanese who built the curious bridge (Chùa cầu), which is the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.
In the late nineteenth century Hoi An's Thu Bon River silted up making it impassable for commercial shipping. The port moved to Tourane - now the city of Danang - and Hoi An languished. Its retreat into small town anonymity meant that its old buildings survived the joint ravages of war and development, when so many other towns in Vietnam were destroyed. In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and today the ancient centre is pedestrianised, making it the most convivial place to spend several days soaking up a traditional Vietnamese vibe.
This is a town in which to take time out and enjoy 'slow time' - eat, walk, cycle, shop and simply explore. To add to the ambiance, as darkness falls all electricity is switched off and the town begins to glow, illuminated by hundreds of beautiful traditional silk lanterns. You can choose to stay either in the old town itself or just outside on the beach at Cua Dai, which is as good as any in Central Vietnam.
We offer tailor-made holidays to suit a wide range of tastes. Our experts Erin, Fenton, Lisa and Lisa are dedicated to all things Vietnam and are here to help you plan your perfect trip.
Erin’s explored so much of Vietnam. From eating with the locals at busy markets to unwinding on peaceful coastlines. Erin knows how to design a holiday that blends culture, food and scenery, all with plenty of personality sprinkled in for good measure.
Fenton’s explored more than 80 countries, but Vietnam holds a special place on his favourites list. With a love for food, history and proper off-the-beaten-track travel, he’s full of stories and expert tips to help shape the perfect trip for you.
Lisa’s passion for scenic landscapes and meaningful cultural experiences makes her a natural Vietnam expert. She’s travelled across the country and knows exactly how to balance big sights with quiet moments and local flavour.
Lisa loves Vietnam for its mix of flavours, scenery and stories. Whether it’s wandering old towns or flying around on the back of a vespa in search of the best street food, she’s got plenty of first-hand insight to help design your perfect adventure.
Vietnam is amazingly diverse. It is a country with a remarkable history, a rich culture, wonderful cuisine (the best in South-East Asia?), montagnard tribes and striking landscapes. It is made up of dramatic limestone karsts, terraced paddy fields, lush rain-forests, stunning beaches, high mountains and flat river deltas. It was the backpackers’ best-kept secret in the 1990’s and has now risen to become a travellers’ nirvana in the 21st Century. Vietnam has effortlessly embraced ‘luxury’, without losing any of its authenticity – a holiday in Indochina is as stress-free as it is rewarding, the proficient infrastructure and an inherent Indochinese ‘style’ ensuring happy travels.
Welcome to a country with over 2,000 miles of coastline and several different weather systems. Because of this, there really isn’t a “perfect” time to visit Vietnam, you’re likely to experience a mix of sunshine, clear blue skies and a bit of rain whenever you go.
It’s worth thinking about the climate when planning your itinerary, especially depending on where you’ll be spending most of your time. But don’t get too caught up in strict ideas of “high” or “low” season. While one region might be having showers, another can be basking in sunshine. Sometimes the so-called “high season” can actually bring more unpredictable weather to certain areas, leaving locals scratching their heads.
Vietnam’s long, thin shape means there’s huge variation across the country. There can be snow in the northern mountains while the beaches are enjoying tropical heat at 32 °C.
The most popular time to visit is from November to April, when the weather is generally at its best and you’ll find the biggest crowds. The months on either side, October and May, can also be fantastic. October might still have the odd storm, and May starts to get hotter and wetter, but both are great times to explore with fewer visitors.
Many travellers love visiting during the hot and wet months of June to September. The rice paddies glow green, the beaches are beautiful, and dramatic afternoon storms put on quite a show. You might lose a day or two to rain, but a bit of enforced downtime can be a nice chance to slow down. You’ll also find fewer international tourists, though domestic travel is becoming more popular during these summer months.
Thai food may be the most famous of all the South-East Asian cuisines, but true ‘foodies’ would rather go for Vietnamese every time. Quite rightly so. Vietnamese food is light, subtler in flavour and dishes are often boiled or steamed rather than stir-fried. An importance is placed on herbs and seasoning – no surprise in this land of diverse climates.
In the south, curries and spices often feature, while other regions have evolved their own array of specialities. Outside influences abound, as Buddhism introduced a vegetarian tradition to Vietnam, while much later the French brought with them bread, dairy products, pastries and the whole café culture.
Though it originated in Hanoi, a dish you’ll find throughout Vietnam is pho (pronounced as “fur”), a noodle soup eaten primarily at breakfast. A basic bowl of pho consists of a light beef broth, flavoured with ginger, coriander and sometimes cinnamon, to which broad, flat rice-noodles, spring onions and slivers of chicken, pork or beef are added. At the table you add a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of chilli flakes or a spoonful of chilli sauce.
With its diverse climate, Vietnam is blessed with both tropical and temperate fruits, including dozens of types of banana. The most prolific orchards are in the south, where pineapple, coconut, papaya, mango, longan and mangosteen flourish. Dalat is justly famous for its strawberries, while the region around Nha Trang produces delicious dragon fruit – the size and shape of a small pineapple, the dragon fruit has a pink skin, studded with small protuberances, and smooth, white flesh speckled with tiny black seeds. The slightly sweet, watery flesh is thirst quenching and, indeed, often served as a drink, crushed with ice.
A fruit that is definitely an acquired taste is the durian – a spiky, yellow-green football-sized fruit with an unmistakably pungent odour reminiscent of mature cheese. It does not taste as it smells, once described by a friend as ‘onion-laced custard’. Jackfruit looks worryingly similar to durian but is larger and has smaller spikes…and tastes a lot better.
A relative newcomer on the culinary scene is French bread, which the Vietnamese truly understand. It is made with wheat flour in the north and rice flour in the south. Baguettes – sometimes sold warm from street side stoves – are sliced open and stuffed with whatever you fancy.
Vietnam’s premium drink is green tea, which is the accompaniment to every social gathering or business meeting and frequently drunk after meals. For those who prefer their drinks with significantly more kick, there’s also rice wine. Some of the local beers are excellent, and an increasingly wide range of imported wines and spirits are available.
The Vietnamese eat early: outside the major cities food stalls and street kitchens rarely stay open beyond 8pm and may close even earlier. In Hanoi & Saigon you can eat at most times of day and night. Markets are often good snacking grounds, with stalls churning out soups and spring rolls or selling intriguing banana-leaf parcels of pate, pickled pork sausage or perhaps a cake of sticky rice. The quality and variety of food is generally better in the main towns and cities then in the countryside, where restaurants can sometimes be hard to find. But you’ll never go hungry; there’s always some stall selling a noodle soup or rice platter and plenty of fruit to fill up on.
You can fly direct to Vietnam with Vietnam Airlines to Hanoi or Saigon, however these direct flights don’t run daily so you do need to be flexible on dates to get the best deals. For other flights, the best options to Vietnam take you through Bangkok (Thai Airways, EVA Air or BA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian Airways), Singapore (Singapore Airlines) or Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific). It is possible to break the journey in these places, perhaps adding on a city or beach break in Thailand or Malaysia, or a city break in Singapore or Hong Kong.
A host of other airlines, European and Middle Eastern, fly to South-East Asia via their respective hubs, but rarely are these cheaper or more convenient. However, some do offer more options for those travelling from regional UK airports.
We price up our flights on a case-by-case basis, making sure we use the best available deals for your trip. If you have any particular preferences for airlines or routes, or are considering upgrading your flights, please let us know so we can include this in your plans.
British Passport holders can enter Vietnam for a single entry of up to 45 days with a visa exemption. A minimum of 6 months validity is required on your passport from the date of departure from Vietnam.
For stays over 45 days, or multiple entries, a visa will be required to enter Vietnam on a British Passport. For other types of passport, please check with the local Vietnamese embassy. There are three options available to obtain your visa, if required:
1) Electronic Visa – British passport holders can now enter Vietnam using an e-visa for single or multiple entry, of up to 90 days. The application can be made online at https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/.
2) Apply for a visa in advance of travel from a Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate in your home country – this is the option required where a visa-on-arrival is not available.
3) Holiday Architects can arrange a “Visa-on-Arrival” authorisation for you – A good option for those who are unable to send their passports or visit the consulate in advance of travel, or who have made last-minute arrangements. No charge is made by Holiday Architects to arrange the visa on arrival, but the visa fee will be required locally on arrival at the airport.
As we’re not medical experts we feel it is essential you contact your GP regarding vaccinations and the like for travel to Vietnam. In addition to such vaccinations as you’d routinely have for living in the UK, further boosters are recommended for Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Polio and Tetanus. If you have visited a country where Yellow Fever is endemic, you will need a certificate of vaccination.
You must talk to your GP first, but it is worth also drawing your attention to this useful website: www.traveldoctor.co.uk – an interactive website providing specialist health information for travellers plus customised lists of travel medicines, vaccines for holidaymakers, global adventure travellers and expeditions.
Malaria is present in some rural areas at certain times of the year.
Comfortable, lightweight clothing in natural fabrics such as cotton is most suitable for travelling in Vietnam. The dress code is fairly casual as in most parts of the tropics but it is advisable to cover arms and legs in the evenings against biting insects. A lightweight raincoat and umbrella are a good idea in the rainy season and an umbrella can also offer useful shade from the sun.
Evenings in the north and the centre can be quite chilly, so bring a sweater and a good jacket especially if you're visiting between November and February. Visitors shouldn't wear shorts, short skirts or other revealing clothing when visiting pagodas and monasteries. Shoes must be removed before entering some religious building or a private home. For that reason, we'd recommend packing shoes without too many laces which can easily be taken off and on!
Vietnamese etiquette is easy to fall in line with. Smile a lot. Don’t point. Don’t ever raise your voice – getting visibly angry with people will prove to be totally counter-productive. If you have a problem, remain calm and become increasingly polite – and you will be helped.
We believe travel should be a force for good. That means exploring with open eyes, treading lightly, and respecting the people and places that make the world so special. Our code of conduct isn’t about rules, it’s simply a guide to help you travel thoughtfully, ethically, and with care. Because every small choice makes a big difference.
If you choose to trust us with your holiday, we’ll send you a “Travel Facts” document when confirming your booking. This includes useful facts and travel advice, such as restaurant recommendations, reading tips, basic language information, cultural traditions, climate information, brief historical overviews, and more. We feel that this offers a useful insight and can help you interact with local residents in a more sensitive, well-informed manner. Please do try to take the time to read this information before your visit, it’s worth the time!
A number of the countries in which we operate holidays are religious societies with a widely observed set of customs. Always respect these norms, particularly when visiting religious buildings.
To the best of our knowledge, all hotels, lodges, and camps within our portfolio operate stringent measures to minimise water usage. All of our destinations have issues with water supplies to a certain extent, so feel free to raise any possible wastage should you encounter it during your stay, either with the accommodation or with us upon your return.
Please ask permission before taking photographs of people, and respect their wishes if they are not happy to be photographed. We find that friendly requests and a smile are usually met with a ‘yes!’
Strive, where possible, to make your own contribution to environmental practices as you travel. This might include minimising your electricity usage, not smoking in protected areas, avoiding coral while snorkelling, and safely disposing of all litter (recycling where possible).
Where possible, try to purchase from local suppliers. This includes shopping for souvenirs, dining out at restaurants, and booking additional excursions during your free time. In areas where haggling is an accepted part of daily life, don’t be offended if you’re unable to obtain what you perceive as a fair price for an item.
We emphasise to local suppliers that our clients should never be taken on unsolicited shopping trips, but if this does happen, try to retain your sense of humour, provide a firm refusal to participate and do let us know about it on your return. We pass on all feedback from every trip undertaken with us to our relevant local suppliers, who all share our commitment to travelling with sensitivity.
Please don’t remove any indigenous items from their natural habitat and attempt to bring them home as a souvenir. This particularly applies to everything from coral, shells, plants and food in the natural world, to cultural artefacts and antiques.
If you’re unsure about anything relating to the above, please feel free to chat to us. We’ve travelled extensively in the country and will be more than happy to offer our considered advice.
We offer tailor-made holidays to suit a wide range of tastes. Our experts Erin, Fenton, Lisa and Lisa are dedicated to all things Vietnam and are here to help you plan your perfect trip.
Erin’s explored so much of Vietnam. From eating with the locals at busy markets to unwinding on peaceful coastlines. Erin knows how to design a holiday that blends culture, food and scenery, all with plenty of personality sprinkled in for good measure.
Fenton’s explored more than 80 countries, but Vietnam holds a special place on his favourites list. With a love for food, history and proper off-the-beaten-track travel, he’s full of stories and expert tips to help shape the perfect trip for you.
Lisa’s passion for scenic landscapes and meaningful cultural experiences makes her a natural Vietnam expert. She’s travelled across the country and knows exactly how to balance big sights with quiet moments and local flavour.
Lisa loves Vietnam for its mix of flavours, scenery and stories. Whether it’s wandering old towns or flying around on the back of a vespa in search of the best street food, she’s got plenty of first-hand insight to help design your perfect adventure.
Speak to one of our travel specialists today.
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